Crane on CSN Houston impasse: ‘We will not blink’

Astros owner Jim Crane said Thursday night that as last-minute negotiations continue with DirecTV, Dish Network, AT&T U-verse and other major providers over carriage deals for Comcast SportsNet Houston, “We’re not going to blink.”

Crane’s comments on KILT (610 AM) came a few hours after CSN president and general manager Matt Hutchings said he was becoming less confident deals can be struck before CSN’s first Astros game broadcast Tuesday.

Hutchings said talks could hinge on viewers’ willingness to call their carriers and complain about the absence of CSN Houston, which is owned by the Rockets, Astros and NBC Sports Group.

Crane speculated that viewer pressure could bring a quick end to the impasse that has existed since the network signed on last fall.

“One of these big carriers — Direc(TV), Time Warner, AT&T — one of them will fall into place very quickly, and the thing should move forward very fast,” he said. “We’re willing to make some concessions here. We’re not silly. We want fans to see the games.”

He said “everybody’s aggravated, we’re aggravated, the Rockets are aggravated” about the inability to sign deals and that protests by fans to their TV providers is “where the rubber meets the road.”

“When we saw DirecTV, they said they had only lost a few customers,” Crane said. “Well, when they lose a few thousand customers, guess what: They’re going to pay that rate pretty quick, and everything is going to start running pretty smooth.

“Everybody is waiting until the last minute to see who is going to blink. I can guarantee you we will not blink. We’re in it for the long run. We’re in it to fix the team. We’re in it to build a winner, and this is a big part of building a winner.”

The comments by Crane and Hutchings came a day after Mayor Annise Parker said the impasse was “intolerable” for fans.

Hutchings said negotiators with the NBC Sports Group, which owns the network with the Astros and Rockets, have modified positions “on the important items, things that you would consider salient.”

He said “yes” when asked if monthly subscriber fees were among those issues.

“We have gone back and forth (with providers),” Hutchings said. “We have placed proposals in front of them, but the bottom line we are feeling is that the providers simply are just unwilling to move unless they are absolutely forced to, and that is with the fans out there and their customers demanding that they get this deal done.

“Despite our own efforts, we are growing less optimistic by the day that we will reach agreement (by the opening series). We’re concerned with that.”

While Hutchings declined to be specific, he provided for the first time a limited comparison and context for the network’s pricing position.

Based on the company’s research, Hutchings said CSN Houston is seeking a lower fee for its core market in Houston than the Fox Sports Group receives from subscribers in its core Dallas-Fort Worth market for Fox Sports Southwest, which airs Rangers, Mavericks and Stars games plus Big 12 football and basketball.

He declined to reveal that number but said the comparison shows Houston “is being treated as a second-class market” and that providers “have seen an opportunity in Houston to cut their costs and to deny fans of those two teams, and at the end of the day, the money they are collecting from Houston fans goes right into their pockets while denying fans access to these teams.

“At the very least, the Houston fans should call their television providers and demand a reduction to their bill. They’re paying the same they did last year, but they’re not getting to watch the Astros, Rockets and Dynamo games.”

Crane, in his appearance on KILT-AM, emphasized the importance of CSN Houston as a revenue base to help him rebuild the Astros.

A DirecTV spokesman said the company stood by a statement last week that it wants “an agreement with the owners of CSN Houston that allows customers to choose whether they want to pay to see the games or not. We are ready and willing to have that discussion any time.”

A spokesperson for Dish Network did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for Suddenlink cable said, “We continue to search for common ground and hope we can find it.”

An AT&T spokesman said, “As we’ve said before, we would like to make this network available to our customers, but CSN Houston is demanding a high price for the same team games that, as of last season, were available on other channels we already carry and pay for.

“The only other major TV provider that has agreed to carry this network is Comcast, which is a partial owner of the network. We believe the extra value is not being created for the extra cost, and it seems that other major TV providers agree.”

Crane also referred to the fact that the NBC Sports Group holds a 22 percent stake in the company.

“Comcast NBC University is a $60 billion company with a lot of revenue and a lot of profit,” he said. “In the big scheme of things they want to see this go well, but they can afford to wait things out.

“We’re going to stay firm and cut a good deal for the future of the team. If, in fact, we have to sacrifice a little but here, which would be unfortunate – we don’t want that – but we’ll get it done, and we want the fans to watch the games.”

Another Crane comment in the KILT interview touched on details of previous negotiations with the providers.

“We don’t have a firm offer in front of us as I sit here today that I’ve seen,” he said. “There was one made probably at the beginning of the launch of October that wasn’t anywhere in a near-market situation, so we said we’ll sit tight until we get a better deal.”

I heard Crane’s self-promoting and twisted version of the facts last night, as well as BarryWarner’s excessive a$$ kissing throughout the interview. Crane canspin it all he wants. Bottom line is, he has no credibility with most fans, and most citizens could care less about the Astros.

I get perfect service from Comcast and if a modem or box goes, its fixed inside of a day either from a technician coming out or a simple exchange at a local office. What has been obvious is that those ugly dish people are trying to cut thier costs and they decided to take a stand in Houston because of the rebuilding the Rockets and Astros were going to do this year. They thought they cold get by with it because there is naturally less interest with rebuilding teams.

Hey Crane get a life. You guys who invented this network are ALL about the money. You may fool some but not all. If you guys REALLY cared about the viewing public the agreements would have been done before you initiate this money making venture that robs the people in fact. So take your BS and shove it cause I ain’t buying one word of it.

I refuse to switch cable companies so that I can watch a game…I also refuse to go the games until I can watch on Direct TV. I did not attend 1 Rockets game this year and will not attend any Astro games until i can watch them on tv. However, I will be at opening day.

Crane and Comcast are locked in an unholy alliance. However, what Crane doesn’t realize is that Houston fans don’t care about his Astros. Last year the Astros ranked DEAD LAST in Major League Baseball — DEAL LAST. With Crane’s money-saving moves, the Astros will do even worse this year. Bottom line is that we don’t give a damn about HIS TEAM. AT&T, Dish, and DirectTV aren’t all wrong about this. I had bundled Comcast service before switching to U-Verse and frankly my new provider is a lot better. I was always losing my internet connection with Comcast. When the service guy came out, all he would say is that I’ve got a “weak signal.” Duh! If you can’t fix it, you shouldn’t be in the business.

The Astros were deal last IN ATTENDANCE as well. That’s not going to change this year. The Yankees pay A-Rod more than the entire Houston Astros payroll. Crane doesn’t want to win; he just wants our money.

You can see the Astros when they play the Rangers and a few other times this season when they’re on FOX or ESPN. It’s like 20 something games. That’s a large enough sample size to figure out this team is garbage and will be for at least 3-5 more years. As for their comparison of the Dallas market getting more for their teams: Rangers=2 straight World Series appearances; Mavs=World Championship in the last decade; Rockets and Astros=Garbage for last 7 years.(And yes I now the Rockets will make the playoffs this year but does anyone really think they’ll win the title?)

Speak for yourself Blow….you must have forgotten the Clutch City slogan “We Believe”. Sure the Astros might lose 100 games 3 year in a row, sure the Rockets are finally in a playoffs and would likely be out but I’m a fan of both teams no matter what, just because I can’t see them play on TV doesn’t mean I’ll turn around and talk about another teams success.

I am a directv subscriber, and I stand with them against CSN. This is a huge money grab by an Astros owner who has gutted the team and sliced the payroll while raising prices and hiding his pitiful product from the fans. Let the miser choke on his greed. You had fans before you started stabbing us in the back. Not one cent more. You don’t care about us or the team.

Gut the team? Really? Were you aware of the status of the Astros and their farm system when Mr. Crane bought the team? Just how knowledgeable so a fan are you? Like you, I do not like the Comcast deal and I will also be unable to listen to games in Beaumont because 610 does not come through over here in the evening. I am excited about the young players we have and a quickly redeveloped farm system. The Astros will be competitive in three to four seasons. See you then when you hop back on the bandwagon.

AMEN, Wombat!, Crane just like Bloomberg in New York have so much money and so many “yes men” around them it is ALWAYS “my way or the high way.” He has a TIN-EAR when it comes to public relations and in the end it will provide another reason for “fans(?) or at least interested parties” to find SOMETHING else to do with THEIR time and money and consequentially a ‘possible but the seat will be lost FOREVER!’

You think Crane gutted the team? Think again. Uncle Drayton ran the team into the ground, sold out, and is now laughing as he counts his millions. He is the one who, in the end, didn’t care one bit about the fans. It’s highly fashionable to trash Crane and blame him for all of the Astros’ problems, but it’s not as if the franchise became bad since he took the reins. The team has to be rebuilt and he is trying to do that. I am at least willing to see what he can do before hopping on the Crane-is-responsible-for-everything-that-is-wrong-with-my-life bandwagon.

As for the current mess over broadcast rights, we’re stuck in the middle between powerful economic interests, both sides have points, both sides are trying to make money, and both sides are playing a waiting game which doesn’t serve the fans. If you’re carrying the torch for one side or the other then you’re just a useful idiot.

What team? Over the last 6 years every player with potential and is due a pay increase is traded for younger players. We are a Farm Club, pure and simple. The TV market is not in Houston so a world series is looked down on by the rest of the league due to the lack of interest from the major East and West coast fans. It is just a ploy for another revenue scheme to line the owners pockets but will not produce any real results to the team itself. Just watch, any player with potential going into the All Star break and end of season run for the playoffs will be traded. The Astros will pick up a few players who have been released and may last a year or two but will be released after the season. No pitchers will be spared as history dictates.

CSN is requesting $4/mo/subscriber. Texans get nothing more than NFL TV revenue. Request your TV subscriber (AT&T, DirectTV, etc…) to not agree to increased fees for same service. Tell them to tell CSN to pound sand. The teams are terrible anyway.

This whole deal is a rip-off for Houston sports fans. The Rockets and Astros could have made a deal with Fox Sports and kept things as they were but greed got in the way. This situation is another example of the bush league operation the Rockets and Astros have become.
First the American League rammed down our throats. Then that ugly ass sign in the outfield. Now a tv deal that is really unfair to the fans.
I’m going to call my cable provider and say I will cancel if they carry the ‘stros. If Mr. Crain says he can fix all the problems with a ten million dollar check from the fans he should sell one of his helecopters. I’m done with both teams!

cam, I don’ think it i somuch greed, as the INFLATED price that Crane was duped into paying when buying the ‘Lastros,that ANY and EVERY revenue stream that might contribute to recovering that cost OR contributing to the current revenue stream MUST be MAXIMIZED!!!

Hmm…Crane needs to get a clue. First he tells fans they need to call him if they want to offer their own money to sign free agents. Now he wants fans to fork over more money for the right to watch his team lose 100 games for the 3rd year in a row. No freaking way!!! I have DirecTV and want no part of this station.

I dont want CSN Houston on direct Tv
Jim crane is a fraud and has screwed the astros fans
sold out for the american league and has destroyed a beautiful stadium with his greed
i will cancel direct tv if they make my pay for that garbage CSN channel.
lets call direct tv daily and ask them to keep csn off their lineup. jim crane has enough money!!!

I agree with Wombat and RogerD11, why are we the customers that already go to the games (generating revenue for them) also have to do the negotiations for them, on top also pay for the cost of carrying CSN. The carriers all they are going to do is pass the costs to the customers, and I sure don’t want to see an increase to my fees. They should put it in a tear or ala carte and have the customers who want it pay for it.

It’s funny how nearly all the talk we’re hearing here is being initiated by CSN/Astros/Rockets. The “other” providers (directv/dish/at&t) are being relatively quiet. But I’m hearing the CSN radio commercial on the radio non-stop. Pretty easy to determine who the desperate party is here.

And someone needs to put a muzzle on Jim Crane. The man is only digging a deeper hole every time he opens his mouth in front of a microphone. I know it’s now how he intended it, but some of his comments came off as saying “if we don’t get what we want here, we can’t put a competitive team on the field.” If you can’t afford to operate the team, you shouldn’t have bought it. Early signs are not good here – I’ve got a Bud Adams vibe about this guy.

Agreed. I have Comcast but I refuse to watch CSN. Jim Crane is a joke for an owner and it looks like all he cares about is padding his pockets. The only time I will watch the Astros on TV is when they are getting their butts whipped by the Rangers.

The Astros and Rockets are rebuilding. I agree with most of what you said, but Mr. Alexander is one of the best owners in the NBA. He will do anything to bring a champion team to Houston. He has spent a lot of money on injured players, but never back down on improving the team. So its not far to jump on his back.

I have Comcast and won’t watch the Astros, ever. I really don’t care much about the Rockets either. Neither one of those owners will see much of my money either. They have no interest in what few fans the have left in Houston. They can basically choke on this further extortion of our citizens.

I’m not doing this owner’s dirty work when he practically snapped the ability to watch these teams away from us the minute he bought the team. Didn’t pay last year, won’t pay this year. Didn’t watch last year, won’t watch this year. Nobody’s fault but Astros and Rockets ownership. They established this channel, let them lie in their own bed. Thanks to DirecTV for protecting my money. (An odd thing to ever say)

It is amazing how the sports media in Houston has done nothing to help the problem. They consistently interview Rockets and Astros management and rarely ask tough questions. Any other media in a top 5 market would be on the air every day pressing for answers on where each side stands, how the numbers compare to other comparable markets, and what the next steps are to get a deal done.

Yep. I heard most of the 610 interview yesterday and it was all softballs, basically a puff interview for Crane. But hey, the local sports media knows where their bread is buttered and if no one is talking Stros or Rockets, no one is listening to their stations. I will say that Crane seems pretty hands on, though that could be a good or bad thing – my guess is the latter. I can’t imagine how stupid Crane can be… he’s trying to sell a rebuilding team in a new league to fans that are ambivalent at best (and this is coming from a native Houstonian who loves the Stros) – and he comes out with smart ass comments about how fans can pony up their own money if they want a better team, then does the talk circuit to try to browbeat providers into paying his ransom money for programming rights, when fans don’t care and most won’t want to pay more for a crap product. And he knows that the end of his rope is coming soon, because when the Rockets are one and done in the playoffs, no one is going to give a rat’s patoot about the Comcast deal any more, and the Astros will DISAPPEAR in Houston. He knows he is facing another year without a deal, and Les Alexander has got to be ready to break a foot off in his ass.

The owners seem to think the fans need them. The truth is that the owners need the fans.

When people feel neglected or discounted enough in an area which is not necessary for living,they’ll lose interest and leave.

If people can’t watch the games, they won’t be interested in the team and they won’t attend the games.

This stand by the Astros and Rockets has a huge potential to backfire on the owners. Fans will lose interest and no longer be fans. They’ll go onto something else. Then the owners and teams will find themselves in a position of spending a huge amount of marketing money to win people back they never should have lost in the beginning.

I believe this is very short-sighted on the owner’s part. If I can’t watch a game on television without paying extra for it, I won’t watch it. This means I lose interest in the team. They are out of sight and out of mind. I won’t be going to the park to watch.

I have DirectTV, and I wish we had CSN (for Rockets games only pretty much), but it does not seem like it is worth $3.50 a month. If DirectTV could drop Fox Sports Southwest such that it was a wash, then I guess we’d have a deal.

In the meantime – Jim Crane – it is YOU and the Astros who are going to be losing tens of thousands of fans as a result of your greed. I will be sticking with DirectTV regardless of whether they show your AA product on the air.

This is even more likely to happen in Houston where there are too many alternatives to sports. Why waste money on bad teams. There are hundreds of other things to do in the Houston area, many of them don’t cost anything, or very nominal. Teams need to realize that fans can go do something else.
Jim Crane isn’t impressing me with his attitude. His whole, I set the payroll if you want more players kick in 10 million was sheer megalomania. His we won’t blink comment was just stupid. Mr Crane, you bought an irrelevant team and you are well on your way to making it even less so. I understand we need to rebuild, and I hear that the rebuilding is going well. It would be nice if there were some top shelf players to draft the last couple of years and this year. But, in the meantime, couldn’t you have brought in one marquee player to give the fans some excitement? Something to give us a handhold to the team. I’m not coming to any Astros games this year. Not for 6 dollar hotdogs and 5 dollar drinks and all the inflated prices. Not for a AA team. I’ll go to Sugarland for that.

Bla Bla Bla. Why would I call Direct TV. Your the one who moved the games off my TV. They still give me the same channels. I hope they never reach a deal. I am boycotting the Astros this year anyways, because of how they messed over the Rockets deal. I use to be a good fan, but not anymore. Go ahead and choke on your comcast money.

Crane isn’t very smart…. Even if they do bow down to his stupid demands we will not pay for his sorry product…. Crane and Alexander you can keep your CSN…. Neither of your products are very good and I am a season ticket holder of the Rockets and after last night I doubt your ability to produce a team that can play on a constant basis….

I am a huge Astros fan, having been to 166 baseball games, I live and die by the Astros. But, wanting us to switch services in the middle of contracts to watch a Triple A ball club with Jose Altuve at second base it not very realistic.

I was a huge astros fan!
Cancelled my season tickets this year. Watching the American League is like watching girls softball.
Could care less about csn houston or Jim crane
It was a good run. But I’ve moved on. Jim destroyed my team.
I’ve got other things to do than watch riveting astros mariners baseball

CSN Houston wants the other carriers to pay for the privilege of carrying their station but only on the condition that the carriers then pass along the broadcasts to their subscribers for free. The carriers want to– need to, actually– pass along the expense to their subscribers however. So CSN Houston is determined to dictate how the carriers do business.

Regarding the radio spots, CSN Houston claims the carriers are requiring a subscriber fee to carry the station yet have not reduced the subscriber rates since they no longer carry Rockets and Astros games on Fox Sports Houston. My question is: Did Fox reduce their rates to the carriers since no longer having those games available on their network? I highly doubt it. So why should carriers reduce their rates?

What really galls me about this fiasco is that CSN Houston appears to be trying to dictate the business of the other carriers. If I’m selling a product, say wholesale, I can’t dictate the resale price to my customer. That’s his business and the business owner would tell me so.

I wonder how long it will take to get Drayton’s stink off the Astros franchise. He’s still haunting the fans. After all, the creation of CSN Houston was his (and Leslie Alexander’s) deal.

Every cable network, from TBS to National Geographic to ESPN, negotiates a monthly carriage fee with providers that the providers, in turn, pass on to the customers. CSN Houston is no different from any network, including Fox Sports Southwest, in that regard.

So then, what’s the source of the impasse? Strictly the amount of the carriage fee? Sure sounds like CSN Houston wants the providers to absorb the cost and offer the channel at no additional charge. Unless CSN Houston’s carriage fee is above and beyond what the providers think they can recoup from subscribers.

For a business man Crane has no marketing skills. He has done nothing but make the fans feel insignificant and unimportant to the team because we didn’t pay for it, and now he says we should help him complete a move we don’t like to help him pay for it.

Ms Parker and City Hall getting involved is sports telecasts, or
“fans” who won’t forget the good old free television days and accept the concept that sports broadcasting should be a money making business.

It’s easy for Crane to spew about how he won’t budge, because it’s not HIS money, it’s NBC-Universal’s dime he’s stalling on!

When you have absolutely nothing to lose, it’s easy to be a tough guy, but telling 70 to 80% of your fanbase that they need to fight for a product they used to get for free is not a wise move. This thing stunk when they first proposed it and now it really smells.
If you can’t lock in your own hometown fanbase, then how do you expect NBC to keep throwing money at your product?

I’m not paying for a service from a guy who has an attitude like this clown… The “you’ll need me before I need you” mentality won’t work in this town…

Jim, you are a PR dunce and have been from the getgo.I don’t think the fans are upset with the Astros..just you.To do, and say, the things you have and turnaround and ask us for help to put more $$ in your pocket….really? You are trying to sell a product to a market that you, and you alone, screwed up.The fans know what rebuilding means and what goes wih it. We just didnt think we would have the likes of you as an owner while the team AND fans go through it.

The DirecTV package is $33/month for each of the six months of the regular season. There are 30 MLB teams. That’s just over $1.00 per team BEFORE PROFIT FOR DIRECTV. One might argue that the Yankees, etc., should receive more of a share at the expenses of less popular teams, but there should be equal revenue sharing of telecast rights. Pay attention to the way the NFL does it. I want to see the Astros broadcast, but not by out of control escalation of the package price.

Dear DiecTV, AT&T and Dish Network,
Thank you for looking out for your subscribers. Continue to tell Crane you will be happy to put CSN on a premium package that your customers will be able to pay extra for if they wish to do so. Crane does not like the idea of your customers having the option of not paying for CSN. Like the taxpayers that built his stadium, Crane does not want your subscribers to have the option of not paying him.

I’m upset that DirecTv hasn’t worked out a discount on FSH since we aren’t getting the games through that network anymore, but there’s no way I want to pay more for my cable to watch the unquenchable dumpster fire that is the Houston Astros earn their third straight first pick in the draft.

I signed the “We Want CSN Houston” website petition back in October, before I realized who was sponsoring that campaign, and what I was really asking for. I thought it was an independent petition on behalf of all Houston Satellite & Cable sports content subscribers (except CSN subscribers), to put pressure on all parties involved to get a deal done. It took me a while to realize that the content providers who had set the unit subscriber fee[CSN Houston, Astros, and Rockets]were sponsoring this campaign, and that I had been sucked in to pressuring my network to accept this rate, without having a clue how much CSN was asking per subscriber, and how much might be passed through to me.

All along CSN has been painting the holdout distribution networks as the bad guys, presumably for not caving in to CSNH’s rigid price demands. Now I have to listen to CSN’s GM say he is “willing to make concessions” and the Astro’s Jim Crane saying “we will not blink”. Which way is it??

I have been a Dish Network customer for a long time and I know that they do a good job of keeping prices under control. If they think that CSNH’s asking price is too high, I believe them. Conversely, I have had some really bad experiences with Comcast in the past – customer service was not their strong point to say the least. Based on a recent visit to their website, I don’t think they have changed much. I tried to get a price for a subscription package – all they show is their introductory prices, apparently they like to surprise their customers after the first year.

I’m not going to punish Dish Network for trying to keep costs down by switching to Comcast no matter how this works out. I’m not blinking either, Mr.Crane.

Your the one! You didnt have to sign it 80,000 times, now Crane thinks he has a leg to stand on. Joking. I signed it too, but that was when I though there was hope to get the Rockets games on TV. Now I just dont care.

I grew up going to Astros games with my family. I used to be an Astros buddy in the Dome (for what that was worth back in the day) & carried my glove to every single game hoping to catch a foul ball. I listen to games on the radio when they aren’t on TV.

But I’ve just had enough. I’m not paying more to have CSN on UVerse and I’m definitely not switching to Comcast. And I’m not taking out a second mortgage to go see a game.

18 months ago we decided to get rid of cable (U-Verse) It was a tough choice and the only sticking point was me not being able to see the Rockets and Astros. Boy am I glad we got out when we did! Thank you Netflix and Hulu Plus. Thank you even more for MLB.tv! I work a strange schedule and would not be able to watch the games live as it is. Now, I get home and watch several condensed games in around 2 hours on my big screen in the living room. Welcome to the 21st century. Greedy owners will no longer control their fanbase, unless you allow it.

Jim Crane, I hope the Astros don’t air a friggin game the entire season outside of CSN. You have no loyalty to this city or the fans of the team. You were running around trying to buy a team before MLB was foolish enough to let you buy our team. You didn’t care about the tradition you screwed up, you care about money only. You don’t get baseball fans at all. It the thinking man’s game and we think you are a greedy self centered egotistical fool.

jim why don’t you pony up millions of dollars and start your own cable network and then you will find that nobody wants to watch the losers you put on the field, or maybe you can get you boy barack to step in and help you

I missed the interview. Did Crane pound his shoe on the table when he said this?
This CSN fiasco is nothing more than a money grab, and it seems that Crane was counting on that subscriber fee revenue from those other carriers, and this just has the stench of cheapness on his part…
For my part, I cheered when Drayton took over the team from that evil cheapskate McMullin; and how ironic that Uncle Drayton left us worse off than before!
==

You’ve been told forever to hand your checkbook over to these Republicans. They write themselves a check for everything you have, plus $50, and you end up with nothing and go to jail for the overdraft.

And you keep voting for them and giving them your tax dollars so they don’t have to ever compete, to ever play in anything the rest of society would call the “private sector.”

Jim Crane doesn’t want Astros games in a pay package. He doesn’t want consumers to have the choice to pay or not. He wants to be a tax on Houstonians, paid by everyone. I’m happy for anyone in Houston to tell me how this is the “private sector”- it’s actually Marxism.

At the rates that have been floated around ($3.00-$4.00), the other carriers should be able to offer the channel as part of an optional channel at a higher cost. The demand by CSN that the channel must be available to all subscribers, 80% of which have no interest in the teams, is the main sticking point. Just a money grab by CSN and the team owners – “Not only are you going to pay for it, but we’re going to tell you how you can show it.”
Crane is a PR disaster. He makes John McMullen and Bud Adams look good. Someone needs to tell him to concentrate on his golf game with his pal Obama and keep his face/mouth out of the media.

All the negative comments about crane. I thought I was the only one. As long as the astro`s have crane as an owner they will NEVER see one penny from me nor will they have my support in anything they do. As for as the rockets go it seems they are content being an average team and I really have`nt paid attention to them since the dream was allowed to leave. I have direct and I am happy with their service and as long as I have the NFL and college sports crane you can go straight to H E double hockey sticks

I’ve had a suite at minute maid for 7 years and will be letting it go after this year as a result of this obvious display of greed.. Not only this tv thing but the total disregard for the fans. MONEY MONEY MONEY… just not mine!

Thanks but no thanks! Just another money grab by a greedy owner. I don’t want to watch these teams at the stadiums and I don’t want to watch them on TV and I certainly don’t want to pay more for CSN. Comcast will not get my money and neither will Crane!

I would normally agree with crane. This guy has ruined the team but he has screwed up the tram.We are the laughing stock in America. The rockets will just be a middle of the pack team. When these guys put a top team on the field and the court i will call direct tv. Crane is the worst owner in baseball. Morey is scared to have a bad team and get a lottery pick and his drafting is mediocre. I watch other teams in baseball.In basketball i’m sick of winning the 5-8 seed.

Mr. Crane, Do not know where you grew up but it does not appear that you grew up around American baseball. The game is about the family. You have uprooted the core of Houston baseball for your own personal gain. Price of going to a game is up, now YOU are pitting fans against the TV networks.

THE QUESTION IS – HOW SOON CAN MR. CRANE TURN A PROFIT WITH THE ASTROS, (IF THEY ARE STILL NAMED ASTROS)? IT IS ABOUT $$$$$$$ NOT ABOUT THE HOUSTON FANS.

Wow a resounding thumping of Mr crane and his greedy CSN partners
if this is a reflection of the rest of houston, I think fans could care less about this issue.
Its time to go back to the drawing board mr crane and try to figure out a way to win back the old astros fans that you ignored.
Sure winning may bring back some, but thats a long way away.

Crane is a guy who’s capable of saying some thoroughly stupid things. He’s not coming into this deal with any strength. Nobody is going to switch to Comcast just to watch his little league team. Why not take their number for a two-year deal? Get your number next time. Are you expecting to get the same deal as the Rangers and Mavericks? Those are proven products.

I switched from AT&T to Comcast a few months ago for 2 weeks so I could watch the Rockets. I promptly switched back to AT&T because my Comcast bill was $30 more than AT&T per month, and I did not get NBA TV, extra ESPN channels and no Starz, Encore, Showtime, Flix, and Movieplex channels. I think it would be a stretch to ask AT&T to lower my already low bill. Their DVR is outdated with no ethernet port for my Xbox 360, and a very ugly guide interface with annoying ads at the bottom. No thanks.

Crane should have stuck with whatever he was doing before. He’s lost this former fan of 48 years cuz I won’t give a minute or a dime to an american league astros team. Doesn’t matter if it wasn’t a blatant money grab and the channel was free, I still wouldn’t watch! Go Cardinals!

Crane and the Astros have driven away customers from the gate. Now they are trying to shore up revenue with a locked in broadcast deal and they’re finding out that the carriers don’t value their product either. And Crane wants the TV viewers to apply pressure? If the carriers pay more, the fans pay more. He must think the fans are stupid.

He needs this tv deal to have the money to “rebuild” the Astros. Sir. You over paid, by millions, for a franchise that had been gutted by the previous owner. You let the Commissioner of Baseball extort you into moving a team, to the American League, which had a half-century history in The National League. Now you are stuck with a television network nobody watches. And, you want the Astros fans to bail you out.

Just guessing here. I don’t think it’s going to happen.

When you have a winning team, people will buy tickets to see them play. When you have a team that consistently loses… you have to sell “stuff”. (Like a bad tv deal).

Mr. Crane, I had high hopes and a lot of faith for better baseball, in a change in ownership of the Astros. I now know that faith was misplaced. I’m not changing my cable provider. I’m not calling to urge they add CSN. I’m not going to much care how this season goes for the home town team. I will watch baseball, when ever and where ever I can. I have been an Astros fan for a lot of years. For even more years, I have been a baseball fan. I’ll watch whatever baseball comes on my television, with my existing carrier. Thank you very much.

How come CSN doesn’t do what FSH did before them? Nobody wants to pay for an inferior product – especially since it was free when the Astros were a contender. I feel bad that the Rockets got sucked into this deal, since I’m a big Rockets fan. Since Jim Crane sold us down the river to the AL, I am no longer a fan of the Astros or MLB period.

The Astros, Dynamos and the Rockets managment can all go jump in the lake…. I have been forced to watch the Rockets on the internet and while it isn’t as good as it was when it was on TV, I can still watch them for FREE…. Crane your product just like the Rockets product sucks at best…. Why should we pay for a lousy product like your Astros that you bought and then destroyed yet you still want people to pay for it…. Really???? Move your teams if this is your alls attitude….

I have heard the numbers are around $4/subscriber per month. I would guess only 25% of the market will watch. So, Crane wants $4 for every person with satellite rather than letting Direct TV charge $20 for each person selecting his channel. The folks who run DirectTV and DISH are not stupid. CSN is a welfare recipient, unable to make money by productive work (or a competitive team) These CSN advertisements are like welfare recipients advertising to demand Congress pay them more.

Mr. Crane, sorry, but we are not going to be begging anyone to pick up CSN. We dropped DirecTv after many years because the price kept going up and we weren’t getting anything more for it. We realize that you did not make the deal with Comcast, but you are the one who will pay the price for Drayton McLane, Les Alexander,and the Dynamo’s owner’s decision…which were stupid at the very least. We do not have Dish, U-Verse, OR Comcast and we don’t intend to get them. We use Tivo and we are perfectly happy with Netflix and Hulu Plus. We love our Rockets and Astros, but we are not going to let the deal made with CSN overtake us and we CERTAINLY are not going to pay 80+ a month just to see our teams’ games on TV. Maybe the men who made the deal should be paying the other carriers to show the games, after all, it was their stupid idea to use another provider to show their games instead of starting their OWN channel, which was the original plan. They obviously didn’t care that 60%+ of the fans wouldn’t be able to see the games, so why should WE care? We can still see who won or lost and that is the main thing these days.

Lets get to the bottom line here — Houston is just not a big enough sports town to warrant a specific cable network for the Astros, Rockets, Dynamo. Maybe they will be someday…Sure, there are fans here, but they are not going out of the way to pay extra to see them on cable TV.

The Texans are king on TV in Houston and will always be because of the great NFL TV deals over the air. The other sports should follow their model, otherwise they will have a very tough time selling their product to cable or sat television in the Houston market.

It is bad business to rely on TV revenue to keep a pro sports team afloat. That is what Crane is apparently doing to the Astros.

His greed is why they were removed from free channels and now he wants everyone to pay for something no one will watch.

Sorry, I do not want my bill increased so he can make more money. If they want to offer it as a pay/premium channel that you individually purchase so be it, but don’t force all of us to pay for what we obviously do not want.

Jim Crane says Astros fans should pony up moeny for the team, then tries to extort us through CSN Houston. He is not making many friends in Housotn and now you see why he failed to buy the Astros the first time, the Rangers, and the Cubs. Now we are stuck with this guy. He has no desire to build a winner. I am a huge baseball fan and understand rebuilding, but I can’t figure out what they are doing with this club. It makes no sense. I guess I am not a scout for a reason, but I see very little upside in any of the guys in within the whole organization.

Also, as a DirecTv customer, I hope they stand pat too! That is insane to pay over $3 for one channel! That is a slipperly slope. Your whole cable bill would be astronomical if every channel was $3!!!! Just keep saying no DirecTv!!

SO while we wanted to see the Rockets but couldn’t, no big deal, but now that baseball season is starting and we can’t (don’t want to is more accurate) see Astros, suddenly he’s aggravated eh? Just coincidence I’m sure.

It’s not going to happen unless CSN is dissolved. A prime example is the Longhorn Network. The Longhorn Network is not offered on COMCAST. Despite thousands of petitions and protests, COMCAST refuses to offer the Longhorn Network to it’s customers. This is because the Longhorn network is owned by ESPN, which is 80% owned by Disney. COMCAST offers CSN because they are an NBC company and CSN is also an NBC company. Other providers will not offer products that enrich their competitors.
I’m a lifelong Astros fan, but I’ve traveled the road with bad owners before (Bud Adams). Switching to the American league is a cardinal sin. The best option is to move the club to another city. Houston can wait awhile and then try and get another franchise. Hey, it worked before, look at the Houston Texans.

Crane is the idiotic buffoon who allowed baseball to move the Astros out of the league that they had been in from the moment they were created. Goodbye Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers all their lifetime rivals. And money? ONE player–one not even very good player (ARod)–makes more money in a year than the Astros pay their entire roster.

Yeah, Crane cares not one whit about the quality of the team and dang sure not about the quality of the league in which they are forced to compete, and most of all not one whit about the (former) Colt .45/Astros fans. May Crane and his AL team spend eternity in a very hot place.

My understanding is actually that MLB (Bud Selig) was forcing Jim Crane to move the team to the AL as a condition of allowing him to buy the team. To be fair, it never did make any sense that the NL central had 6 teams while the AL west had only 4. I guess if you really go back, it was the Brewers switching to the NL (while owned by Bud Selig!) that screwed this whole thing up.

Also, while I’m super frustrated by the CSN Houston situation, what Crane and Luno are doing with the Astros is clearly the best way to build a successful team. They’re going to be very bad for 3 years or so, but they will accumulate young talent constantly. This is the only viable way to build a lasting, competitive franchise without having major market money to spend.

“At the very least, the Houston fans should call their television providers and demand a reduction to their bill. They’re paying the same they did last year, but they’re not getting to watch the Astros, Rockets and Dynamo games.”
- This is not true. I have Directv and in the past if I want to watch the Rockets, I just add the FSSW package per month. So I’m not paying more if I don’t have the FSSW package. I don’t like Comcast and will never come back no matter what! I’ll listen to the Rockets on radio.

Steve Jobs has been one of my major heroes. He built Apple into one of the world’s most valuable companies by fanatically focusing on one thing: Delighting Customers. That was Steve’s mantra. He made it into Apple’s mantra. He believed that one goal was the only one needed. If you do that, he said, profits, sales, and success will follow automatically.

Mr. Crane and Comcast should think about that. Their mantra seems to be the opposite of Steve’s. Their goal is obviously to squeeze every possible dollar out of customers and business partners. That’s not how you delight customers. That’s not what Steve would do.

I was born and raised an Astros fan now living in North Texas. I was happy to be able to still watch many Astros games on DirecTV. Now, it sounds like I won’t have that option unless I buy MLB Season Pass…which I won’t be doing. Therefore, do I only get the first game of the season on TV? I sympathize with you Houstonians. This is bull any way you cut it. I’m about to abandon the Astros altogether because this is too much. If Crane’s goal is to drive away Astros fans, then it may be working. This is the biggest crock in Houston sports coverage that I’ve seen in all my years. Good luck marketing a team with very limited television coverage. How can you be a fan if you can’t even watch the games? It is an outrage. The sides don’t seem like they have made much of any progress, either, since negotiations started.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of these comments and it warms my heart to see that my fellow Houstonians have a spine and are not going to give in to bloodsucker Crane. He’s done enough to destroy baseball in Houston. The Rockets also were willing to accept a deal with DirecTv, but Crane and his thugs wouldn’t allow it. So please do not blame the Rockets for this mess. We are all serfs in Crane’s eyes and it is so good to see that people are taking a stand against him. I will not blink.

This is all part of the plan. Selig moves the Astros to the AL. Crane alienates the fans. Be ready for the “I’m not making any money in Houston” comments and watch for him to start looking to move the team to OKC or Memphis. This was always the plan when the Astros were sold. Say goodbye to the Astros as you knew them… Oh wait, they’re already gone…

Mr Crane expects thew fans of Houston sports to pay up, He and the other owners will not blink.

As a former fan of the Houston sports teams I am tired of paying. We have built stadiums and supported the teams as fans but with the exception of the Texans the owner appear to be only interested in their pocket books> I for one find the Metroplex teams more fun to watch and I am doing so!!!

Please don’t blink Mr. Crane. Then when you see that your low-ball budget MLB team ends with the worst record in baseball again and with perhaps the lowest gate revenue and no TV revenue to speak of, your plan of trying to make a profit on your sports business purchase will also fail when you try to sell the team in a few years. I’m hoping whoever the next foolish businessman who tries to get involved in the sinking ship that is Major League Baseball also doesn’t blink and you lose millions (even when including the “bribe” discount price you received to take the Astros to the AL.) Everything I’ve heard, read and seen about you leads me to think you’re someone I don’t want associated with Houston sports and your comments strengthen my resolve to not support the Astros any longer.

Most of you that have commented on here complaining about this and that. Give it a rest. I agree that most of you should stop watching the games, because it is very obvious that you were not real fans to begin with. You were a fan when they were winning back in ’05, but not now when the team is down. I have never seen such a large group of whiners in my life. I have been a fan all my life, and I will still be a fan. I have a suggestion to most of you. When they are back on track in a few years. PLEASE STAY AWAY. You are not the type of fans that we need.

I started watching the Astros in 1977, at the age of 6. Stuck with them through thick and thin. This whole mess isn’t about how they suck now because they’re rebuilding. This whole mess is about Crane and Selig giving a big FU to the fans, over and over again, and arrogantly expecting the fans to take it without lube.

So let me see if I understand you correctly. In your world, a good fan is someone who shows up and pays ever higher ticket, concession, and parking charges for a product that is the worst in either league. That’s not my idea of a good fan. That’s a sucker.

Hey, as fans we’re all willing participants in this ridiculous thing called ‘professional sports’. Why does anybody think the leeching greedy money grab by owners, players, leagues, and networks will slow down? It’s getting worse daily. It’s insane to think you would pay a fee to watch the Astros on TV.

Back at ya Crane. I will not spend a cent on the Half-Astros or the Sprockets until they field competitive teams and broadcast on other systems. I won’t spend major league amounts for minor league products.

Mr. Crane is fast becoming the “King of Smarmy” here in Houston. Every time he opens his sorry pie-hole; he sounds more and more like John McMullen. Why doesn’t he let him minions handle his public statements? Sir, if you insist on making your own snarky public statements; do yourself a favor. Have your people call Mr. McNair’s people and the Rodeo people and get some pointers on “How to be smarmy while at the same time acting like you really care.

I would not switch to Comcast if they discounted my service 50%- it is by far THE WORST customer service company I have ever dealt with. The Astros need the fans more than we need the Lastros -ooop I mean Astros.
Why would I even care to even follow a professional team that is not capable of competing- with a roster of players I have never heard of. I could really could care less if this deal gets done or not.. I will watch other local sports team while I wait for the Texans season to begin…and having premier 50 yard line season tickets and being able to watch every game on television makes that experience worthwhile and exciting.

I live in the New Orleans area and have been an Astros fan since I was a kid in the 80s. I grew up watching Mike Scott, Nolan Ryan, Jose Cruz, etc. I’ve made countless trips to Houston to see the Astros over the years, first with my parents and then with my wife and kids in recent years. I am also a Directv subscriber. This is the first year in many many years that we do not have a trip to Houston planned. This is striclty due to the fact that I am not able to see the Astros on my television. For over 20 years, from HSE to FSN, I’ve been able to watch the Astros on TV. In turn, I’ve gone to Houston and spent hard earned money in the city and first at the Astrodome, then Minute Maid Park. Not anymore. Instead, we may try out other MLB stadiums this year. My wife and I are talking about going either to Arlington to see the Rangers(and make sure they are playing a team other than the Astros to ensure that none of my money finds its way into Crane’s pocket) or possibly Atlanta. More than likely it will be Arlington, just because we’ve been to Turner Field already. So congrats Jim Crane and CSN. You’ve lost another long long time(30+ years) fan and the city of Houston has lost the money my family and I would have spent on hotel, food, etc. while staying in Houston watching the Astros.

Oh and one more thing. When the Hornets moved here from Charlotte, they went the cable company RSN route with Cox Sports Television. Cox never did come to an agreement with the Directv. It was only in the last year or 2 that they came to an agreement with Dish Network and Charter Communications. So, for almost 10 years, the Hornets had very little TV penetration in the New Orleans market. After going to 10+ games the first year, I stopped going to Hornets games until this past year when the Hornets moved to Fox Sports New Orleans, which is carried on Directv. I hope Houston doesn’t have to suffer like we did, but be prepared just in case.

I hope DirecTV, AT&T and Dish all stand pat and refuse to bow to Crane’s “Extortion.”

Since this man came to town he is always complaining about something or another that is supposedly “owed” to him.

Maybe in a couple of years he will get tired of losing money in an empty Minute Maid Park and sell the Astros to someone who will consider the needs of the Fans and the the Houston Community instead of his own selfish greed.

I suggest you people stop complaining and show directv and the others you dont care if they get csn, that will show the astros and rockets that they have no more control. Like we care what rate they want , greedy losers.

Hey, Crane and Hutchings, if you think that everyone but you is being unreasonable, it’s probably you that’s being unreasonable.
If you were asking for a fair deal, at least one of the carriers would carry the channel, if for no other reason to have something their competetition doesn’t. But the fact that no one will touch CSN says a lot.
Also, you radio spot that argues that it’s the carriers’ fault for not getting the deal done as evidenced by the fact the companies will deal with everyone but you makes me think you were all kicked in the head by mules.

The bad guys in this scenario are the Astros, Rockets, and Comcast. They’re trying to stick it to the providers with highway robbery pricing.

If DirecTV, AT&T, etc. cave in here, then teams in other cities are going to say, “Oh look! We can go for the same outrageous pricing as they got in Houston.”

The teams are asking a whopping $3.50 (est.) per month for each and every DirecTV subscriber. That is EVERY SUBSCRIBER, not just those who watch sports. That’s $41.50 per year for every single customer. That’s just outrageous.

If we’re going to call anyone to complain, let”s call the Rockets and the Astros. They’re the bad guys here.

Thanks Dave. That’s a clear and concise summary of the crux of the issue. That is in fact an outrageous fee that providers know will result in very unhappy customers when they need to recoup by raising subscription rates.

I’m a U-verse subscriber and have no intention to switch, nor will I support a rate increase to have CSN. Generally, I find AT&T U-verse a superior provider especially re. DVR features.

Congratulations, Longhorn Network. You are no longer the punchline dunce of sports television. Jim Crane, Comcast Sports, you just made DeLoss Dodds look absolutely brilliant, and that takes some doing. Well done.

This is just a money grab by Crane to offset the loses of the horrible product he is offering. The Astros are years away from fielding a competitive team. It no longer matters whether a TV deal can be reached. No one will want to watch them anyway.

Has everyone forgotten that Fox Sports offered the Astros/Rockets a tv deal for 12 years that was worth over a BILLION dollars? I think it was Mr. Postolos that said that deal was not good enough.
Hope the powers that be are reading these comments and realize that the fans feel they are being sold a pig in a poke.
When long time fans (like myself) start running away there is a real problem. Ask the diamondbacks, they never got their fans back.
Will not support the Astros in any way as long as they are in the AL.

Suddenly he realizes he needs the fans! Sorry Jimmiy boy you refused to pay attention to the fans when they said we didn’t want to go to the American League, you decided to shaft the fans with the Dynamic pricing scam, you and your minions have put together a minor league team you believe we should pay Major league prices to see. And now you want the fans to help you? Dream on, maybe your pal Bud, the Chud, Selig can spot you.

It sucks that the Rockets got pulled into this mess. At least they will be a playoff team, not like the Astros who will most likely not see the postseason for the next 20 years. I’ll throw you a bone, Jim Crane. I plan to watch the Rangers-Astros game on Sunday night on ESPN – unless it’s blacked out. After that, I won’t watch another Astros game because I hate the AL style of baseball.

Bud Selig has pulled a number on you, Jim Crane. He didn’t want his Brewers to go back to the AL because he didn’t want to give up playing the Cubs or Cardinals – teams that have huge traveling fan bases. You were so bent on buying a MLB franchise that you sold the Astros down the river. Was that a $30M discount your received or 30 pieces of silver?

Lucky for you, the ESPN Sunday broadcasts are immune from MLB blackout rules. They are also always exclusive – no other game can be on at the same time. That’s why all Sunday games (except the ESPN one) are in the day time; the teams aren’t allowed to schedule night games, even if it’s 110 degrees during the day.

it is obvious that crane did not write a check for 700 million dollars to buy the astros. his advisers are clueless. CSN should have offered a $1.00 a sub ( one million per month in subscriber revenue ) verses going for $3.40 per sub (3.4 million per month) to watch a team forecasted to win 50 games and lose 130.

My vote is to pay if you want to watch and not pay if you don’t want to watch. While I have watched my share of Astro’s games and Rockets games in the past I have found this past year to be enlightening….I have found other things to do with my time which are more rewarding…like getting a life…I’m hoping Suddenlink does not give in to the situation unless it’s a pay for viewing priveleges only.

On 790 when Crane was on the rival station, Charlie alluded to Les Alexander willing to make a deal, but Crane holding out and trying to squeeze the last penny. Of course, Crane has nothing to lose when it was Rockets games being blacked out.

Most of the people commenting here do not realize that the deal with Comcast was done BEFORE Jim Crane ever bought the team. That was Drayton’s deal. It is sad that if you are a fan and won’t cough up $3.50 a month (less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks) to watch your team, then you are missing out on watching a bunch of scrappy young players who deserve a chance. I don’t think a lot of things that have happened to the ballpark, the staff, the radio station, TV station, etc., but they are still the Astros, still our team. Come on HOUSTON!

Crane, you’ve done nothing but fail since you’ve thrown your hat into the Astros ring. The reason your stance is ridiculous is that you currently own one of the worst pro franchises in sports today. Thus, there is no demand to see your team which is why DirectTV, U-Verse, etc. aren’t willing to pay your exhorbitant rate. All I care about is watching the Rockets. You and Les Alexander seem to forget it was taxpayer dollars that paid for your stadiums yet the taxpayers can’t see these teams on TV – what a joke! You suck, Crane.

Much like Matt Hutchings, I am less optimistic. For the sake of fans who don’t have access to Comcast or don’t want to switch, I hope that I am wrong. There are a lot of factors that have, I think, converged at the worst possible time to make a deal for this particular network at this particular time. The only things that will solve this issue are pressure from fans and customers, compromise by the parties involved or the pressure generated by a winning Astros team. I think the third option is unlikely.

You won’t blink? Then I won’t watch. Simple. If the other providers think they have you over a barrel it is because they do. No one is going to watch your crummy team, certainly no one is going to pay extra to do it. Did Crane get rich in his prior businesses by shutting out 60% of his potential customers?

I’ve been an Astro/Colt .45 fan since Day One. I’ve supported the team according to how I perceive the professional level of the team’s management and players. Some times the management has been inept (Ed Wade/Drayton) and sometimes great (GM Jerry H.)
This year’s team will lose at least 90-100 games this year even if some of the players have career years. The only savings grace is that the Astros will again have either the top draft choice or among the top 3.

Most of the people posting here do not realize that the agreement with Comcast was a done deal BEFORE Jim Crane bought the team. The $3.50 a month is less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks! The move to the American League was a condition of his buying the team so you can blame Bud Selig for that one. True, he has made some changes that a lot of us are not happy with. But this young scrappy team of players deserves a chance. Come on, Houston. Get behind the TEAM!

1. Crane & company want a fee of $3.50/month subscriber applied to all all subscribers
2. Figure a 10% subscriber market penetration of people willing to subscribe if CSN Houston is a premium channel.
3. That computes to a $35/month, ~$400/year, subscription rate for a premium channel.
4. Who in their right mind would pay that for Double A baseball, a basketball team in which the regular season doesn’t count and triple A Soccer.
5. Do the math; Crane may be many things, but he is certainly smart enough to see the premium channel solution as a loser proposition.
6. Therefore the intransigence on rate structure.

Here’s the deal, Mr. Crane. Remember how you will not listen to our advice until we pony up $10 million? The fine folks of Houston are going to reciprocate and not follow your “free” advice on quitting our current providers.

Crane is making a big mistake. There is no way I will pay a premium to watch a no talent team like the Astros. How did he ever think this could work? Comcast really put one over on him. Jim: if you want our support, give us a reason to believe we will not have another 100 loss season. Baseball is about talent and we need about three starting pitchers, two relievers, and a few position players with batting averages close to 300 with RBis. Don’t get me started on the move to the AL. I suppose I could live with the DH, but with away games in the West starting at 9 pm, just one more reason to tune out.

Paul you and fans like you are the problem. Turn out we don’t need you. You can get Comcast for the same price as DirecTV so NO u won’t be spending a lot more. The Rockets and Astros need this money to contend. So please don’t comment on something u don’t understand.

On Crane again you’re wrong. I have been a fan for 30 years and I don’t want to see him just buy the best players. DO U KNOW WHY THAT IS PAUL, because it never last. The Astros have some really good young talent and the GM has done a GREAT job. So they are doing it the right way but again fans like you don’t get it.

All y’all do is cry, well last time I looked Crane made his money himself so he can spend as he please and the best part is u don’t have to watch. Crane has put the right people in charge and this team will keep getting better as the core of players grow.

I suggest you find something else to watch like Hottest Housewives of New York or maybe RuPaul if that floats your boat but let us real fans enjoy our team without hearing you cry.

No crying, just facts. With the lowest payroll in baseball, there is zero chance of a decent team this year. As for next year? Where is the plan? When will the Astros begin to try? As a businessman, Crane should know that a CEO with no plan to succeed would be replaced by the Board of Directors. Here’s an idea: go to pay per view. That way Crane will have an incentive to field a competitive team. PS Comcast us not available where I live.

I was reading Roger Ebert’s review of “Killer Joe” and he used the word “slattern”.

I sent him an admonishing e-mail. I just want to know if it is a good movie. I know where to get vocabulary lessons.

And at the MFA tomorrow night, there is a showing of a very rarely seen documentary about the Stones. It’s title can’t be named because it is so vulgar. Come to think of it, there are probably a few slatterns in it. I can’t wait.

If management cared about the fans, they would make some games available on free tv. Nobody seems to give a hoot about the people who cannot afford comcast, dish, direct, or any of the other fancy pay services. All the people who use antennas, and in some cases those $20.00 government converter boxes, are just out of luck as far as Astro ownership is concerned. No games on free tv, so no reason to care who advertises with them. Still lots of good high school games left. Even starting to like soccer, because the Dynamoos are on free tv.

Just called Direct tv. talked to some lady in Tennessee. Told her do NOT want to be charged anything extra for Astro games. She said they are included in the extra-charge sports package and are not being considered for the regular direcTV packages.

You must not be too bright. Comparing Comcast to DirecTv is a huge insult, they aren’t close when it comes to quality and customer service. Most importantly, you miss the fact that Comcast isn’t available everywhere. If you had a grip on the situation, you would know this. If switching to Comcast isn’t an option, then there is no other option.

Feel bad for Rockets fans but Rockets shouldn’t have tied themselves to Crane. He is not interested in what the fans want, see move to AL, only their money. It’s easy for him to holdout & wait for these providers to cave to his demands because he knows that nobody is going to pay to watch his crapass team play anyway. And, when one of the marquee teams do come to town he is gouging the fans on those ticket prices with his variable pricing policy.Baseball in Houston is over there is no way they will be able to compete with the Angels or Rangers, let alone Yankees or Red Sox. The Astros are the new Pirates & Royals.

Mr Crane if you think providers losing a few customers will make them sign up for CSN your dumber then I thought! Astros need all the providers broadcasting their games as they can get. Mr Commiss can we get a new OWNER? This one is not to bright!

Some of you people need to get a life. The Astros wont be relevant for a couple of years. The only important part of the Rockets season is the playoffs and those will be on TBS or TNT. The world will go on no matter what happens with the negotiations. If you want to be angry at anything it should be the cost of cable TV and that some areas are charged less for the same coverage. And for the people who are 610 haters, ask yourself why Crane went on that station instead of the Astros flagship station… listeners is the answer.

OK, this has been out of hand and is only getting worse. CSN Houston provides no tangible value over FSN Houston to 99.99% of the viewers. We really only care about the game broadcasts; I don’t think that many people actually need 24/7 Astros insider coverage, and I don’t think it provides extra value.

The other providers probably still have an active deal with FSSW and FSN Houston that they are still paying for…why would they reduce our bill? They would be double-paying for this market.

Another dirty secret that CSN Houston seems to gloss over is that they FORBID the providers from picking up their channel and allowing subscribers to buy it a la carte (i.e. if I want it, i can give DirecTV $5 extra per month, but it’s optional). They are trying to force a (presumably $3.40 tax per-subscriber) across a 5-state area for teams that have a lackluster following extremely localized to the Houston area.

These are the facts not mentioned in the new CSN ad campaign.

To someone who would gladly pay extra money to my provider to have the damn channel, this entire thing is frustrating. Another interesting facet of this: why do professional teams (other than in the NFL – totally different structure), EVER give up the right to broadcast their own games streaming through the internet to paying subscribers? This would be a very different debate if I could pay the Rockets $10 per month to stream their CSN Houston broadcasts online in HD, but there is no such offering.

In short, CSN is the bad guy here. This has become their regional sports channel model. They’ve done this exact same thing in several other markets.

I leave all of you folks who want to watch the games but aren’t willing to change your provider to Comcast with this:

You can watch pretty much any live sports broadcast for free through this website:http://www.firstrow1.eu/
The quality isn’t great, but you get what you pay for…

If DirectTV adds CSN ( or any provider ) everyone will pay the $5, not just you. For instance, every DirectTV subscriber pays for NFL Network, they just split the cost. So, if they add CSN then all p[ay extra, not just you.

Second, why aren’t people protesting CSN to give it back to FSN. That’s the real issue. Everyone has become cranes slave and protesting so they can pay more money. The logic is backwards in my opinion. Yeah the teams suck, but we still watch the texans after Kubiac deciding to keep Schaub.

@ Nick – maybe I didn’t say it clearly, but I was trying to voice that what you’re saying is my main frustration. That NOT EVERY subscriber should have to pay that $5 / month. CSN Houston will not allow DirecTV (or any other provider) to pick up their channel and offer it a la carte; they will only accept a deal where all subscribers in the 5-state area are forced to pay for the channel. It seems pretty clear that the demand is not really there to watch these teams, so subscribers aren’t clamoring for CSN Houston.

hmm so i have to the dirty work by breaking my contract with my current provider…pay the fee for canceling so i can watch your crappy team?? Mr. Joke, I mean Crane, you might have done well in business (I have no idea how) but this is sports…you have a fan base to deal with not just some corporate people. Most people I know laugh at your comments. You have to be the worst PR man ever. Go back to business and screw people out of their money there.

Subscriber fees are locked in for a specific period of time and likely would rise or fall after that based on economic conditions and the performance of the network as a business proposition and the team’s performance on the field.

Mr. Crane’s arrogance is only surpassed by his lack of communicative skills. Just because he built a successful logistics business does not make him a good owner for the Houston baseball franchise. He needs to shut up and maybe let Postolos speak for him. I know I’m not the brightest guy in town, but I was very successful in my business world before selling my business, but I did realize the customer was the most important of the business world. Something Crane needs to figure out. You can’t be stupid enough to alienate your customer base and think it will endure.

David, I hope Jim Crane is reading these comments. If so, he may realize he is not holding as strong a hand as he thought. Near as I can tell every single one of these comments are negative toward Crane and/of CSN.

There were real and deep seated reasons that Major League Baseball didn’t want Jim Crane owning a team. The only reason they allowed it was because they were desperate to get a team to switch leagues. Its really quite simple – Jim Crane is who he is. Houston sports fans will suffer because of it.

Why aren’t y’all spending your energy to get local sports back on FSN? If everyone boycotted CSN, then the ratings would be extremely low and it would be cancelled and call your tv providers and say you don’t want the channel? No ratings, no channel then he has to put his tail between his legs and go back to fsn.

I created http://www.comcast-sports-network.com and have a presite. Will add a blog later and theres a facebook.com/comcastsportsnetworksux to. Free to help, if not i’ll just keep adding to it daily. local sports should never be cable only. That means no hd sports locally